Apocryphal Well - The Forces

THE Egyptian advance guard for Charles Grant's Battle of the Apocryphal Well was an all-arms force consisting of eight units.

Three of these were close-order infantry armed with spears and shields, totalling 131 figures (two of the units had 43 figures, and one had 45 - we are not told why the numbers varied).

There were also three open-order units of archers, totalling 64 figures (two units had 21 figures, and one had 22).

Rounding off the infantry were 18 open-order javelinmen who, in addition to their throwing weapons, had shields.

That makes 213 foot soldiers in all, but in addition the advance guard was fortunate enough to have "Pharoah's Chariot Squadron," consisting of eight chariots, armed with both bows and javelins.

Since each chariot had a two-man crew, it meant the Egyptians fielded 229 figures (plus eight chariots).

The Assyrian advance guard was outnumbered in terms of both figures and units, "but the weight of the Assyrians amply made up for this deficiency."

Leading the way were two 20-man units of cavalry - one in close order, carrying long spears and shields, as well as wearing body protection, and the other in open order, carrying short spears and shields.

Heading the foot soldiers was a 26-man unit of close-order infantry, armed with bows and spears, and wearing full mail, as well as having shields.

Another unit of close-order infantry, this time having 24 figures, carried spears and shields, as well as wearing "half-armour."

There were also two units of close-order archers, carrying bows, but with no shields or armour - one having 31 figures, the other 30 - and a 27-strong unit of open-order infantry, armed with javelins and shields.

The Assyrians therefore numbered 138 infantry and 40 cavalry.

Grant acted as umpire for the battle, with four of his wargaming friends splitting the command duties.

Although the fourth edition of the Wargames Research Group's rules was out by the time Grant's book, The Ancient War Game, was published, it would seem the battle was fought using the third edition.

I still have the sixth edition, and the fourth edition is available as a PDF via a link at the WRG's website, 

My copy of the sixth edition

Note that nowhere in Grant's description of the two forces is there a mention of each army's commanding general, who had to be included on the battlefield under WRG rules.

However, the answer may be that the Egyptian commander was subsumed within the squadron of chariots, while the Assyrian general was similarly regarded as being part of the close-order cavalry, but Grant forgot to mention this in his account.

Anyway, this is not important for my refight as I will not be using WRG rules, but rather my modified version of Neil Thomas's biblical rules from Ancient & Medieval Wargaming.